Good health isn’t something you can buy, but it’s a valuable savings account.
You may or may not have been health conscious during your college years, but as you age, taking care of your health gets more important. Because if you don’t have your health, who cares how much money you have! you don’t have much. This chapter covers some basics on how to achieve and maintain good overall health, both mental and physical, and how to start habits now that will ensure your future years are as healthy as possible.
The wealth and health connection
As an American, we are highly susceptible to living an unhealthy lifestyle. In my own life, I have worked hard to chase my dream, and I’ve discovered that it pays to be healthy., which happens when you live a healthy lifestyle. But according to the United Nations’ International Labor Office, unhealthy lifestyle choices cost U.S. businesses in upwards of $12 billion annually. 12 billion dollars!
With that figure in mind, a mere $50/month on a gym membership for yourself or your employees is probably worth it. Sadly, too many Americans don’t consider their health a worthy investment, but research shows that 23% of adults that are obese earn $35k or less each year, whereas only 5.6% of Americans who are obese earn over $100,000/year $100k+. Why do you think CEOs and high performing professionals wake up really early to get in a morning workout? Because it makes them perform better in all aspects of life!
Every January, many people resolve to lose weight or save money. And funny enough, those two goals are actually linked.
Tips for staying healthy throughout your life
From proper food choices to some kind of daily physical activity, it’s easy to stay healthy if you follow a few general tips.
- Exercise daily.
You need an exercise routine that you can stick to. Studies have shown that regular exercise can substantially decrease your chances of heart disease, which means more money that you will save in your lifetime! Various studies have also shown that those who exercise save over $2,000/year! So, not only does working out help you save and earn more money, but it makes you healthier in many ways.
Why is it important? Well…
First, it releases endorphins that increase your happiness. Happiness is linked to increased performance in the workplace because people enjoy doing business with people who are happy!
And second, the happiness it creates positively affects your diet and life. This is in contrast to unhappy or depressed people who often tend to eat more junk food, which in turn increases cholesterol levels. In Just like similar way, excessive credit card debt can clog your personal finances, while good debt, like mortgage debt, can actually be beneficial (just like good cholesterol is beneficial to your body) because it allows you to invest in an appreciating asset since home prices have increased substantially over the past 30 years.
To get started, set a goal to exercise two to three hours each week. It doesn’t have to be anything too intense. Just going for a daily walk or taking your significant other to a dance class is a positive move that will begin to improve your health and wealth.
2. Don’t eat out so much.
A big part of staying healthy is being aware of how much you go out to eat. Eating out often not only hurts your wallet, but the food choices you encounter tend not to be the healthiest either. We get it, you’re now making money now and you want to go out to eat, but if you go out to eat four or five times /month and that’s easy $100 to $200 you’re spending, plus all the calories and salt and fats.
3. Limit your alcohol consumption.
If you went to college, you probably partied and drank a bit. Or a lot. Even though you were acting a fool, you were still surrounded by people on the same level as you as far as IQ and education, etc., but when you leave school and hit the real world, you’ll soon be surrounded by people of all shapes, colors, and backgrounds, and you soon realize that you’re no longer in the same, homogenous environment. If you go drinking and partying, you’ll meet a new crowd, many of whom aren’t going to the same place you are. And now that you’re in the real world, you now have to get up and go to work every day, unlike at school when you could often sleep in and get away with it. But now, when you burn the candle at both ends, your work performance starts to suffer and others notice. My point is this: it’s okay to have the occasional drink but try to limit your alcohol to five or fewer drinks a week. Except on special occasions .
While it’s normal to go out now and then with friends, like on happy hour on Fridays, etc., you have to let college life go and look in the mirror and ask yourself if you’re ready to keep doing this the rest of your life. In the 1993 movie Dazed and Confused, Matthew McConaughey plays a character named Dave Wooderson, who is still hanging out with high school students, trying to live the life of a young person even though he has long since aged out of it.
For your health, life and maturity, don’t be like Dave but make sure you grow past all this. You need to ask yourself if you want to go and have drinks at the local bar or save your money and go someday travel to Italy or Europe. Because if you keep spending your money on partying, you probably won’t be able to invest in the kind of fun, mind-expanding experiences that actually make you happier.
Your Guide,
Joshua Krafchick, “Unconventional Money Guy”
